Limbo game apparatus

ABSTRACT

The upright supports for holding a horizontal bar are formed of plastic tubing which is split lengthwise, and a piece of doweling is inserted in each upright tube. The doweling has an O.D. greater than the I.D. of the split tubing, and the plastic tubing frictionally engages the doweling. Projecting through each slit is a horizontal pin connected to the doweling. These two horizontal pins support the horizontal cross bar. The game is played by starting the cross bar high and then steadily lowering it by manually sliding each dowel in its split tube, until the players can no longer pass under it, supported by their feet alone.

Miller LIMBO GAME APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Raymond F. Miller, 681 Doverlee,

Santa Maria, Calif. 93454 [22] Filed: June 21, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 372,210

[52] U.S. Cl. 273/1 R, 248/125, 272/59 C [51] Int. Cl A63b 1/00 [58] Field of Search 273/1; 272/59 C, 62, 63; 248/125, 414, 245, 246, 226R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 373,304 11/1887 Patzer 248/414 2,727,711 12/1955 Bally 248/246 2,777,692 1/1957 Marzucco 272/59 C 3,107,091 10/1963 Jenkins 272/59 C 3,294,400 12/1966 Goldstein 273/1 E 3,351,313 11/1967 Guillon 248/246 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS Germany 272/59 C Apr. 2, 1974 [57] ABSTRACT The upright supports for holding a horizontal bar are formed of plastic tubing which is split lengthwise, and a piece of doweling is inserted in each upright tube. The doweling has an OD. greater than the ID. of the split tubing, and the plastic tubing frictionally engages the doweling. Projecting through each slit is a horizontal pin connected to the doweling. These two horizontal pins support the horizontal cross bar. The game is played by starting the cross bar high and then steadily lowering it by manually sliding each dowel in its split tube, until the players can no longer pass under it, supported by their feet alone.

8 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LIMBO GAME APPARATUS DESCRIPTION This invention relates to the construction of uprights for holding the horizontal cross bar of limbo game apparatus.

The limbo game has been played for decades in different parts of the world and consists of a group of players trying to move their bodies under a cross bar while it is progressively lowered. The players can support themselves only by their feet. The person wins who can pass underthe lowest bar without knocking it off its supporting pins. The game is played not only on dance floors and roller skating rinks, but enjoys popularity as a general exercise among nursery school and school children of all ages.

Because of the fact that children must be able to operate the game, it is essential that the cross bar supports be easily and simply manipulated. Also, it is essential that the apparatus be light in weight and devoid of sharp corners and edges so that the players will not hurt themselves if they fall against the apparatus, which happens frequently during the difficult acrobatic maneuvers of the players in passing under low bars.

In summary, I provide a limbo game apparatus made of light weight plastic tubing that has plastic tubing uprights and preferably a plastic tubing cross bar. The tubing is of the glued joint type which has a very thin wall (l/l6 inch or less in k inch size). A normal coupling is sawed in two and disposed in a recess of a base forms a socket for supporting each upright. The upright tubes are cut longitudinally for most of their length and a dowel of greater outside diameter than the inside diameter of the tubing is inserted in the upper end of the Other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent in the drawing forming an integral part of the specification and in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view of limbo'game apparatus wherein a pair of uprights embodying the invention support a cross bar.

FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view of a slider and its horizontal pin which supports one end of the cross bar.

FIG. 3 is a three-dimensional view of the upper end of the upright of FIG. 1 showing the slit to receive the horizontal pin that supports the cross bar.

FIG. 4 is a framentary view of a part of one of the uprights of FIG. 1 showing the horizontal pin projecting through a slit in the upright to adjustably support the cross bar at any given height.

Referring to FIG. 1, a pair of uprights each have a horizontally projecting pin 9 which pins support a horizontal cross bar 11. Each upright 10 has a base 12 formed of wood, chip board, etc., in which is disposed a socket 13 for receiving a vertical length of tubing 14 which is slit longitudinally at 16. The horizontal supporting pins 9 which support the cross bar 11 may be adjustably moved up or down to any selected position so that any desired height of the cross bar 11 may be obtained.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3 there is illustrated a slider 17 to which is secured the horizontal pin 9 that supports the cross bar 11 of FIG. 1. This slider 17 has a horizontal cross section which has a greater dimension than the horizontal cross section of the interior of the tube 14. Accordingly, the tube 14 has the slit 16 opened, as shown in FIG. 3, for insertion of the dowel 17 and for insertion of the pin 9 in the slit l6.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown the assembly of the slider 17 and its connected horizontal pins 9 to the tubing upright 14. The slider 17 causes the slit 16 to bulge open at the region of the slider and its associated pin 9 and this causes the slider to be frictionally engaged by the interior of the tube 14 to hold the slider at any selected position. By selecting the relative dimensions of the interior of the tube 14 and the exterior of the slider 17 any degree of friction may be obtained that is desired. It is preferable, of course, to have the cross bar l1 of FIG. 1 sufficiently light weight so that a minimumof friction can be employed so that the slider -can be very easily manipulated, even by very young children.

To enable the placement of the bar 11 of FIG. 1 in a true horizontal condition, each upright is provided with graduations 18 so that the operator merely places the pins 9 of each upright at the same numbered graduation and thereby obtains a completely horizontal cross bar 1 1.

I have discovered that ordinary commercial water pipe tubing made of polyvinyl chloride (pvc) is extremely satisfactory, not only for the uprights 10, but for the cross bar 11. In order to economically package and store the apparatus, the cross bar 11 is preferably made in two sections, and these sections may removably be held together with the ordinary coupling employed in water tubing and designated 19 in FIG. 1. These couplings are of the'glue joint type, as contrasted to the threaded type of tubing. However, glue is not used in this apparatus, inasmuch as the couplings are sufficiently tight on the plastic tubing so that the plastic tubing will be held without sagging and can be easily pulled apart from the couplings.

v I have discovered that the same couplings, may be very easily employed as a socket for holding the upright tubing 14. While a whole socket could be inserted in each wooden or chip board base 12, I cut in two a normal coupling and use only a half coupling, setting it in a drilled hole in the base 12. Such a coupling in the base holds the upright tubing 14 in a truly upright condition. 1

While the tubing 14 could have the slit 16 formed by drawing a knife along this length, I have found that it is quite satisfactory to make this slit by means of a saw cut. Also, this commercial pvc tubing has the tendency to close up the saw cut and for the two edges to be held tightly together even though a small amount of material has been removed between them by the thickness of the saw itself. This type of tubing action insures that the slider 17 will be adequately engaged.

I have further found that commercial tubing varies in its inside'diameter from length to length and batch to batch, and accordingly some selective fitting of the slider 17 to the tubing 14 must be used. I have found that a very inexpensive and satisfactory slider 17 may be made from ordinary wooden doweling. This doweling tends to vary in dimension from batch to batch, and accordingly this is anotherrequirement for selective fitting. 7

In fact, I have discovered when using an undersized piece of doweling in plastic tubing, that the apparatus will function effectively if the pin alone is the frictionally engaged member. In this event the slider 17 acts merely as a guide for the pin.

The horizontal pin 9 may be made of any suitable material and l have found that wooden golf tees are quite s'atsifactory and can be readily inserted in the doweling 17 by a simple drill hole. It is important to have the pins rubber stamping or other stamping or printing technique.

The apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention is not only inexpensive by virtue of being made of commercially available tubings, but is also extremely light in weight permitting ready storage and inexpensive shippingf Also, the apparatus in accordance with the invention is extremely hazard proof and if players fall against the uprights there are no sharp edges or projections to injure the players inasmuch as the pins 9 are weakly constructed and will readily break off under a strong blow.

While I have described my invention with respect to a presently preferred embodiment thereof, as required by the Rules of the Patent Office, various variations and modifications will occur to those skilled in the industry. For example, any cross section of tubing can be used and it need not be round. Furthermore, the slider 17 may be made of any suitable material, such as another piece of tubing, and the horizontal pin 9 can be made of almost any material, preferably one that breaks readily under a blow. Any suitable technique can be used to form a vertical slit 16 in the tubing, or the tubing can be preformed with such a slit. Accordingly, the invention is not limited to the embodiment illustrated and described, but includes all variations and modifications that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention and the appended claims include all such variations and modifications.

I claim:

l. Limbo game apparatus of the type wherein uprights support a cross bar comprising:

a. a pair of vertical uprights of resilient tubing, each having a longitudinal slot;

b. a slider disposed inside each tubing upright and having a cross section of greater dimension than that of the interior of the split tubing so that the tubing and slider frictionally engage each other; and

c. a pin projecting from each slider through the respective slot in the uprights for support of a cross bar and for manipulation of the slider for moving the slider up and down to support the cross bar at a selected height.

2. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is plastic tubing.

3. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is round cross section polyvinyl chloride tubing.

4. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the slider is a length of doweling.

5. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is of the glue joint type, each upright has a base for support, and each base has secured thereto a coupling open to the top to form a socket for removably receiving a tubing upright.

6. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein height graduations are marked on the uprights adjacent to the slit so that the user can quickly move the pin of each upright to the same level.

7. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the slit walls also engage the pin to frictionally engage the pin.

8. Limbo game apparatus of the type wherein uprights support a cross bar comprising:

a. a pair of vertical uprights of resilient tubing, each having a longitudinal slot;

b. an elongated slider disposed inside each tubing upright and having a cross section approximately the same as the interior cross section of the slit tubing for guided movement in the tubing;

0. and a pin projecting from each slider and through the slot and having a dimension transverse to the tubing of a size to cause frictional engagement with the tubing sufficient to support the weight of one end of across bar. 

1. Limbo game apparatus of the type wherein uprights support a cross bar comprising: a. a pair of vertical uprights of resilient tubing, each having a longitudinal slot; b. a slider disposed inside each tubing upright and having a cross section of greater dimension than that of the interior of the split tubing so that the tubing and slider frictionally engage each other; and c. a pin projecting from each slider through the respective slot in the uprights for support of a cross bar and for manipulation of the slider for moving the slider up and down to support the cross bar at a selected height.
 2. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is plastic tubing.
 3. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is round cross section polyvinyl chloride tubing.
 4. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the slider is a length of doweling.
 5. Limbo game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the tubing is of the glue joint type, each upright has a base for support, and each base has secured thereto a coupling open to the top to form a socket for removably receiving a tubing upright.
 6. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein height graduations are marked on the uprights adjacent to the slit so that the user can quickly move the pin of each upright to the same level.
 7. Game apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein the slit walls also engage the pin to frictionally engage the pin.
 8. Limbo game apparatus of the type wherein uprights support a cross bar comprising: a. a pair of vertical uprights of rEsilient tubing, each having a longitudinal slot; b. an elongated slider disposed inside each tubing upright and having a cross section approximately the same as the interior cross section of the slit tubing for guided movement in the tubing; c. and a pin projecting from each slider and through the slot and having a dimension transverse to the tubing of a size to cause frictional engagement with the tubing sufficient to support the weight of one end of a cross bar. 